1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to three dimensional nail stencils and their use.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) shows a conventional nail stencil 100 used for decorating fingernails and toenails. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,375 to Johnson, et al. Stencil 100 has one or more cut-outs 102. Stencils are often made of paper or a thin, flexible plastic (on the order of 0.1 mm thickness or less). In use, stencil 100 is placed on a fingernail 104 with a selected cut-out 102 positioned at a chosen spot on nail 1–4. Stencil 100 is held in place as fingernail polish is painted over a cutout 102. When stencil 100 is removed, a design in the shape of the chosen cut-out 102 is left on fingernail 104.
Acrylic for use in decorating nails is also known in the art. Colored acrylic has recently become available. It is known to apply three dimensional decorations, such as rhinestones, to fingernails.
A need remains in the art for three dimensional stencils for use in applying acrylic to nails to form three dimensional designs.